He's My Knight in Shining Armor
by Kartara
Summary: He was there to protect her from the person who hired him to kill her. When he kills him to stop him from harming her, Zen assigns him to be her personal bodyguard. He will obey only her, and he will have to listen to Zen. These two will become closer. Oh, and the two take care of Ryuu. (Orginally by Primsgirl89.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on both Wattpad!)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me both on Wattpad.)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

 **Former Authoress' Notes:**

 **Hey everyone!**

 **I have seen some Obi and Shirayuki stories. I love them so much I wanted to try and write a fic of my own for it. I know I haven't finished my more popular fic of Natsu and Lucy, but I am stuck on it. I just remembered that I had it, and if someone explains to me how someone can adopt it I will let them have it. So wish me luck on this new story. Characters my be OOC...sorry. Also Shirayuki isn't going to be an herbalist, she still has all the knowledge, but she is Zens organizer and personal doctor, assigned by his Lord Brother xD.**

* * *

It became apparent that _someone_ didn't want Shirayuki to be in the castle any longer. Why would someone want _her_ —the person that seemed to be the only one Prince Zen will listen to—to leave the castle? Everyone admired how she had gotten the hyperactive Second Prince to do his work, but most importantly do it right. Some think she had given herself to the Prince to get him to listen to her. Others say that the Prince genuinely cared for her, either as a lover or little sister, and that he wanted to prove himself to her. She had gotten many people to open up to her and think so highly of her—even the first Prince Izana, albeit he didn't show it. The guards all protected her when she was around. She helped encourage everyone do what their job is when she was around, simply by the mere sight of her presence. Everyone wanted to show her that they were doing their job right.

But who wanted her out? That would be _him_ , more commonly known as Lord Haruka. He didn't want her here. He believed that she was deceiving everyone with the notion that she was this innocent little advisor. She wasn't fooling him. _She hasn't even gotten her royal pass that all employers to work at this castle, for crying out loud!_

He made sure everything was in order and where everything should be, and if it wasn't…

Well, that's a story for another time.

She had come here a couple years ago from a forest after having left her home country. From what he heard from Prince Zen, she was tending to a wounded black cat. That cat also seemed to love her and instantly began following her everywhere, most noticeably to the castle. Everyone was able to pet the yellow-eyed cat, since it took an instant liking to everyone, save for Lord Haruka. Whenever he tried—which, admittedly, was quite a few times—the beast scratched and hissed at him. After shooing the cat away, it goes up to the wretched bumpkin and curls around her neck, purring ever so softly. She named the cat Midnight Star after seeing how lucky the cat was with its aphorism of nine lives. She thought that the cat seemingly had no end nor any beginning, just like a midnight star, and also because its pelt resembled that of a midnight-shrouded sky. For short, people either call it Midnight or Star. He called it Demon.

She was a smart girl, thus leading Lord Haruka to believe was how she was deceiving everyone. She was _too_ smart, too smart for a girl who apparently stayed in a forest. She was feeding everyone lies. Lied from where she was from, how she learned what she did. No, he never had any real conclusions with self-evident evidence, he just _knew_.

He soon hired a trained and highly skilled assassin to spook or kill her, not that he prioritised one over the other. He honestly didn't care, so long as she was gone. _The whole castle will be glad that a possible threat is gone from the castle_ , he told himself when he was hesitant.

The guy reminded him of that stupid cat. As he was walking by to see if his assassin completed his job on that red-haired distraction, he saw the Princes talking about that red head. Knowing that Prince Izana was well in tune with his surroundings, he stayed where he was, listening.

"-Brother! Why would someone say that she and I have had an affair?! We aren't even together!" Prince Zen exclaimed. _No wonder everyone thought she was sleeping around with the second Prince. I honestly believe it and that she did the same thing with the first Prince._

"Hush. You're making a scene," Prince Izana stated calmly. Once Prince Zen is calmed enough, he speaks again, though Lord Haruka doesn't listen as he started on his way down to where his assassin and he agreed to meet. _I swear if he didn't kill her or spook her, I am going to kill him_ then _her. I have been here longer than she had, and yet everyone is weary of me. It's SHE who they should be wary about. She is still new! I am accustomed to palace life! She isn't!_

He smiled in satisfaction at the thought of how the two would or might be dead. Most who saw him smiling would back away and hide. _Must be my wrinkles... I am fifty, after all._

He entered the gardens and saw the bane of his existence. She was elbow-deep in that disgusting dirt. _Shouldn't she be making sure that the Second Prince was doing his work?_

"So… are you pregnant with either of the princes' child yet?" He sneered, swiftly approaching her from behind and taking her off-guard. He decided to take his anger out on her. _She is the reason why I am gaining a new headache. She has only been here for a couple years, but everyone trusts_ her _more than me! Her relationships with everyone are strong, to the point where everyone is doing their jobs right. She makes everyone around her seem comfortable with her and inspires them to tell her things that shouldn't be told to her, but should be with me! IT'S MY JOB! It sickens me!_

She was still planting herbs. Must have been asked by the chief herbalist. _Why do they trust her so much?_!

"Excuse me?" She asked, baffled and scared. She still didn't take her hands away from the soil. Her back was towards him so she couldn't look him in the eyes before turning around to face him. _Half of my dream is coming true! All she needs to do is beg for me to keep her alive. Hmm... maybe I could use her for my personal toy. The Princes probably already do, anyhow._

"I see he hasn't done his job of spooking or killing you," He noted coldly, his voice void of any emotion sans hatred. His eyes slanted as he glowered down at her. Her eyes widen, not expecting him to tell her this. Her emerald eyes look scared, but very determined. _Why is she so determined? Does she think someone will come to rescue a nuisance like her? Keep dreaming, girl. Everyone is too busy._

He expected her to get down on her hands and knees, begging him to spare her. Her small body quivered in fear, albeit he didn't get that kind of reaction. He was slightly disappointed, wanting to draw out her torment. Okay, he was _highly_ disappointed. _If she won't give me_ that _pleasure, then she can die!_

Lord Haruka took out his sword and charged at her. He didn't even make it relatively close before he felt three small weapons enter him. He turned around to see the princes glaring at me before shifting their gaze at the girl, though the look they gave her was one of brotherly care while the one directed at him was one of pure anger.

Then, he looked down at his heavily-bleeding chest to find three small knives, more specifically known as kunai. He fell to his knees. _This is it… I'm dying._

"Die... you... wrench," He huffed out with pure hatred before throwing the knife at her. The last thing he saw was it make a nick her cheek before everything went cold and dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on Wattpad too!)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me on Wattpad too.)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

* * *

 **Obi POV**

He looked down at the red-headed girl, the same girl he was ordered to spook away or kill. He didn't know why he couldn't seem to do either to her. It was like his body wouldn't listen to what his brain was telling it. So, he just jumped to a closer tree and just watched her from twenty feet away. He was in a tall tree, probably a hundred feet tall. She was planting a few herbs into the garden, humming a tune he was too far away too hear. She seemed so content being near those plants. A black cat was napping near her, a white spot on its chest. Must be a young baby. He looked back to the working girl, wondering what her job is in the palace is, or if she even worked here. From what it looked like, she had to be five-foot-three. She was very slim, but not to where she looked like she barely ate. She was the perfect image of a healthy girl. She looked to be seventeen, at least. Her hair, though the papers say it's the colour of a red apple, but to him it looked like the colour of the Dahlia flower. Her hair fell gracefully down to the midsection of her back.

He looked at how she watched the gardens. Her slim and careful fingers gently touched the plants, almost like if she touched with less carefulness, they would disintegrate. She was now planting what looked to be herbs after clearing a few spots for them. She turned to face where he was hiding. He held his breath. Her skin was the perfect colour of cream, her eyes so green, they were almost like emeralds that went perfectly with her skin and hair. Her lips were a soft pink colour. _She is very beautiful._

She waved me down. Had she spotted him? Deciding to just go and see what her reaction would be when she sees him, he jumped down from the large tree he was watching her from. She jumped and then she giggled ever so softly. _Her laugh...it's like wind chimes. Soft and musical._

His face didn't show any sign of softness for he kept it perfectly neutral. His eyes landed on the black cat, who was now looking up at him with its amber eyes. His and the cat's eyes connected. The cat gave a soft mew and rubbed against the girl. The girl looked to the cat and scratched behind the ears. He could hear the content purrs from where he stood.

"Hello. Why were you in the tree?" Her bell-like voice asked. It didn't seem to be angry or creeped out, but genuinely confused and curious. Her emerald eyes looked at him like he had done to her, but it took him a long bit to actually notice. _Man, she is good at to being noticed at taking a person in._

"You seem like a pretty good guy, but I have a bad feeling that you have a bad assignment here," The red head murmured quietly. The cat mewed again as he walked up to Obi and rubbed against his leg. "Midnight Star likes you. You can pet her if you like."

 _Wait, what? How did she know?_ He allowed his eyes to widen in surprise, keeping the surprised look on his face as he let the now dubbed Midnight Star cuddle his leg before bigging to pet her till' she was nothing but a black pile of purrs.

"Sadly, that is true, and what's even more sad is that it has to involve a beautiful thing like you." He sighed as she stepped back, but she stepped forward and grabbed his arm. She tugged ever so softly, gesturing for him to follow her.

"Where are you taking me, Miss?" Obi asked as the cat jumped on his neck and fell into a deep sleep, purring loudly. He sighed—this time half-heartedly—as the girl giggled. "Oh, my name is Obi."

"Call me Shirayuki." She smiled as she faced him, but glanced every so often to know where she was going. "As for where we are going, we are heading to Zen's and his brother's office. Let him know you were forced to do something bad to me. Zen will help, but his brother will participate only for the amusement."

Again, his eyes widened as she spoke. _Why would she help someone who was meant to harm her?_

He stopped moving, causing her to stumble after she had hit his back at the sudden ceasing of movement. He quickly gathered her into his arms and hugged her close so she wouldn't fall. He felt her body heat up and saw her cheeks and ears flare the same colour as her hair. The cat gave a soft chuckle, or so Obi thought.

"Thank you, Mistress," He whispered in her ear. He heard her mutter about wanting him to start calling her by her name. He chuckled an airy laugh. He soon let go of her from his little hug, yet she still held his arm as she hurried into the office.

As she explained what had happened and what he let her know, the princes smiled and walked me into the hall. The two both have blue eyes. The oldest, Izana, was about five-foot-ten, his hair a sun-bleached blonde. His hair made his pale face look what girls would most likely to be attractive. His attire mostly consisted of white, his cape fluttering perfectly to show his status. _Not that I care._

The other, Zen, was more approachable, his hair as white as a snowy mountain. His outfit was a mixture of blue and white. His cape was white and also showed off his status and his attractiveness. He looked to be about five-foot-five, only barely reaching Obi's shoulder.

"Who assigned you to this job?" Zen asked.

"Lord Haruka. He and I are supposed to meet in ten minutes in the gardens to see if I done my job or not," Obi stated without hesitation, his voice void of any emotion, eyes blank. He saw Zen and Izana look at each other and nod. Midnight came back from where they left her with Shirayuki and jumped on him, falling back asleep. "Why does she keep doing this?" He asked, amused. The princes looked shocked, but then smiled again. Zen shrugged as he and Izana sniggered.

"I'm going to hire you to be Shirayuki's guard; her _personal_ guard. It's about time she receives one. You will listen to both me and her," Zen states with a kind smile.

His eyes widen. Midnight cuddled his cheek like she was saying her congratulations.

"Also, how come your eyes are like a cat's?" The Second Prince asked with the curiosity of a child. That made Midnight hiss. "IT'S ONLY A QUESTION!" He hissed back at the cat.

Obi knew his eyes would have to be questioned so he wasn't surprised that was asked.

"I don't know. I was born with them like this," He answered sarcastically, clearly annoyed. "Why is your hair snow white?" He asked his new employer back. The cat laughs its cat laugh at him as both Izana and Zen look surprised.

After a few moments of being quiet, the two turned on their heels, amused, and left him alone in the hall. Going to leave, he suddenly heard soft steps behind him.

Knowing it was Shirayuki, he turned to look at her with a kind smile. "Want a ride to the gardens?"

Her face lit up like she was a child, her smile soft, but her eyes sparkled with playfulness. He squatted down, allowing her to get on his back. As soon as she was securely on, he stood and noticed that she was really light. "Hold on tight, Mistress!" Midnight curled once more around Shirayuki's neck tightly, wanting to join the two of them.

Before she could say anything, he sprinted from tree to tree almost at the speed of light. Her arms wrapped around him tighter as she laughed and cheered as they went on. They were at the gardens in a short minute. She left to go back to her plants while he watched from afar. _She is certainly interesting_.

He watched as she planted her elbow deep in the dirt in an effort to secure a seed in an upright position. A few minutes later, when his former boss comes and speaks to her, he starts to tense up as he listens loosely to their exchange. After the two spoke a few more words, him getting angrier and angrier by the second, he predictably charges at her.

Obi grabbed several of his kunai and aimed it at Lord Haruka's chest. He jumped down just in time to see him take it out and threw one at her. It hit her cheek, making a slight streak across. Obi suddenly noticed he had two swords on the hilts across his hip, as if he was planning on killing more than one person. The princes looked completely angry so he went to console Shirayuki.

He held her as she hugged him, crying. "I promise I will always protect you with my life."

Everyone just sat there in silence for a while, not sure what to say after a situation like that. After a few more soothing words from him, she soon was fast asleep and they all watched her peaceful face. Her chest heaved slowly up and down, her soft, gentle snoring almost lulling him to sleep.

"Welcome to your new job," Izana finally acknowledged him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on both Wattpad and !)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me both on Wattpad and .)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

When nightfall came, Shirayuki and Obi went to the gardens to get to know each other better. He was sure most other knights would probably just watch over the person they were order to guard and not try to get to know the person more, but he wouldn't do that because it seemed that only he was going to be guarding Shirayuki. They sat by on a shared bench, watching how the aqueducts moderately watered the plants. Midnight was chewing on some catnip that was planted there some time ago.

He looked over at Shirayuki and saw that she was looking up at the ceiling. _What is she looking at?_

He looked up, hoping to see what she was looking at. He saw that the greenhouse had a clear view of the starry night sky. The stars twinkled in the same way the moon reflects off the ocean; absolutely breath-taking as they glittered and gleamed. He couldn't help but give a soft smile. Almost instantly, his body soon became relaxed. He decided to tell her something he had ever only told another person. _Well, she and I were friends when it happened, but I trust Shirayuki a lot._

"I remember being trained by my parents to fight and protect. But then I went down the wrong path. I don't remember why I did. I just remember feeling like my talent would go to waste if I didn't use them to help people in some way," He admitted quietly to her. He knew she was watching him as he spoke, but she never interrupted. She just sat there. "I don't really know what my path is, but I am just going to let it choose whatever fate decides for me. I decided that ever since my first friend left me. She and I trained together for a long time, both of us evenly matched in skill."

She was silent for a long while. Her eyes were clouded in a thoughtful way. She then played with her hair as she looked at him with a kind smile on her face. Her eyes showed wisdom most people won't think possible. "Obi?"

He directed his attention at her, then at Midnight as she laid in between both his and Shirayuki's feet. He looked back at her, waiting for her to reply.

"Do you know what the colour red means?" She asked. I looked at her hair as she fingered it for a moment with a small smile.

"I'm sorry to say I don't," He replied with a relaxed smirk. She looked at him as her hand reached for the bandana he hid in his jacket. His eyes widen slightly. _No one should have seen that. How could she?_ "Miss?"

"Zen had told me that red is the colour that represents fate. He's the one who helped me see that my paths aren't chosen for me and that I can choose what fate and path I want. I'm on the road I choose, the path I choose, in the city I choose." She smiled as she removed her hand from his bandana. "So long as you believe that you can choose your own path, your fate is a good one. Just remember to allow the right people to come with you."

His chest was burning with this weird flame that was just lit up. It's hot, but it's still so small. It doesn't burn, but it comforts him like a candlelight's flame. He smiled at her and looked back up at the starry sky that now looked like a whole new sky with the feeling that his eyes have finally been opened. The stars were shining brighter and they were singing a soft, soothing tune to his heart that no other could make possible.

 _Except for Shirayuki._

"I'm glad I have you with me then," Obi admitted without realising it. She looked at him wide-eyed. She seemed like the type not many people would say something like that to, but he knew that wasn't true. From what he had seen from today, everyone—save for that old man that hired him to harm this girl—was proud that they had her in their lives; _especially_ Prince Zen. He believed that Zen loved her as a husband would his wife, just by the way that he gazed warmly at her. It was only a matter of time before she realised it.

He didn't think it's the same with Shirayuki, though. He saw how she looked at Zen and everyone as if they were her only family. He also remembered that Shirayuki had a lot of admirers, but she didn't give them that kind of feeling back. She seems like she is so... isolated. Admired by everyone for her quick virtuosity, but, like a goddess, too adored to ever make a true friend. She just never seemed to give much thought about herself at all, completely unaware of her effect on other people. She just carries on her day like any normal person, unassuming.

 _Just like a girl I met as a child._

Come to think of it, that girl also had red hair, but her eyes were a darker shade of green. Her eyes were so dark and lonely that he had to give her a hug. She had been so shocked when he did that she fell. She and he would meet up every day after he had his lessons in fighting. He remembered she asked him to teach her how to fight.

He told her to come here every morning at dawn so he could bring her along her classes so she can learn. She learned really fast. By the time a year had passed, she was at his skill level. We were evenly matched. He didn't even know how she was able to learn that fast, either. He just appreciated that his only true friend was there for him and wanted to learn with him. All his other "friends" ran away, saying he was a monster like his parents. That really hurt him and made him learn to put on a mask no one can see through. He became a discourteous teaser and made anything that wasn't important seem like a game.

Obi asked why she wanted to learn on his birthday. The answer he got wasn't what he was expecting. _Because it will bring me closer to my first friend and my first crush!_

Her smile was wide, but her eyes still remained dark, but not as dark as what they were the time we had first met. Her eyes were a light forest green colour. He smiled and hugged her for the first—and last—time that day.

"Thank you," Shirayuki said as she brought her hands up to her heart. He nodded with his easy-going smile. "Oh, I saw how you fought earlier, and I was hoping you and I could spar sometime."

The former assassin chuckled gently. "I won't go easy. You will need to learn from the Master to be as good as me."

She smirked. "I was taught by my first friend's family, so I am sure I can handle myself. Though I am really rusty."

His eyes widened again. "Who was your friends name?"

She looked at him with these glowing and sparkling eyes. Her eyes slowly closed as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He was so still, having not dared to even move.

"That's a story for another day. For now, I think it's time we head back into the castle," She murmured softly.

Nodding, he got up and turned to look at her to see she was gone. "Wha...?" Soon, he felt something light land on his back.

"Giddy up, my trusty knight," She laughed. Groaning, he held just underneath her thighs to make sure she wouldn't fall. He ran as fast as he was able to, which was an estimated nine miles per hour. He heard her laughing and smiled. _I just hope this isn't going to be a regular occurrence._

"You know you're not nice, right?" He tried to deadpan, but as she smiled, he found himself doing it too. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw everyone seemingly amused by what was going on.

"And yes, I am your trusty knight. And don't you forget it," He said with a smile on his face. He saw her blush and futilely looked away.

"Quit fooling around..."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on both Wattpad and !)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me both on Wattpad and .)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

 **Former Authoress' Notes: Hey everyone! Thanks for actually giving my story a Chance. I haven't any comments, but hopefully that will change soon. As I had all told you in the first chapter, I have read the ObiYuki stories and these have been my inspiration for writing this. I'm going to try my hardest to update everyday or close to. On to the story. If you have seen the episode with the bird test, this is what this chapter is about. It's basically all that, with a lot of my own twist. I know it's not going to be good, but give it a try. Please...**

They—Obi and Shirayuki—were in Zen's office, waiting to hear about what duties he needed to do after sitting in on a meeting. Miss Kiki, a stoic blond knight who is somewhat motherly to the prince, and her partner, Mister Mitsuhide, a blue-haired man with hazel eyes unfortunately given the constant worrying father part in Zen's life, waited alongside them. He was the second advisor of Prince Zen, but he didn't give advice unless it's necessary. That way, when he speaks, Zen will actually listen to him and do as he asked.

 _I feel like those two are in some sort of secret relationship. No one would be surprised, everyone likes the thought of those two to be together._

A knock on the door announced that the meeting was about to commence. First, Ryuu, a kid he had been well acquainted with before, showed the two into the room. He spotted him and locked beside him longingly at the comfy couch he was sitting on. His eyes looked really tired, so emotionless, it was a bit unnerving. His clothes were slightly baggy, his usual messy brown hair even more messy. _Must have been a long night without Shirayuki helping._

"These two got lost looking for you," His soft quiet voice spoke, darting a glance at them before returning his gaze to Prince Zen.

Obi stood up, making a once-sleeping Midnight hiss in annoyance before seeing Ryuu and moving over. He walked up to the twelve-year-old and picked him up. He let a soft squeak out in protest as he moved into a more comfortable position. Going back to the couch, he set Ryuu down gently after fetching him a pillow.

"Miss Kiki, would you be so kind as to let the medical wing know Ryuu is resting with Obi and I? Again." Shirayuki smiled sheepishly as she sat beside him, softly petting the kid's hair as he gently snored. Out of everyone in the castle, they were the only two able to get the poor kid to rest.

"Sure thing," Kiki says with a slight smirk. "You know, people think that you three are secretly a family." With that, she left and did what Shirayuki asked. Everyone snickered, even the new people standing by couldn't help but smile.

The girl awaiting an audience with Prince Zen was slightly taller than Shirayuki, about two or three inches. Her long dark hair almost fell to her hips and her bangs were pulled back with what looked like a pin that was decorated with half a butterfly on each side. Her eyes were an ocean blue, her pale skin, paler than the Second Prince's, matching them quite perfectly.

 _What are the odds that I now know two people with pale skin_ and _ocean-blue eyes?_

The other was a male who he had a bad feeling about. Once Zen permitted them to speak, he spoke of how a certain bird couldn't possibly become a state-protected bird because of how useless they were. The girl argued that the birds were so useful because they could find a certain stone below water from above. Their speed is faster than the fastest boat around.

"Why not see how fast they are?" Zen asks. "If they are as fast as you say, would like them to be trained and used to carries messages…"

That was all he heard before Ryuu's soft snoring caused him to fall asleep as well.

The test was about to begin. It was to see if, in twenty-five minutes, the bird could go from the centre of the north part of the castle grounds to the checkpoint of the south part of the castle grounds, which just so happened to be a watch tower. That was an estimated few dozen miles away and a few hours to go on by horses, not counting in how long it took to come back.

Ryuu wanted to stay and watch with the two so the Chief Herbalist said that Shirayuki and he had to watch him. They immediately agreed, wanting to give him any type of normalcy in his life. Obi picked him up and placed him on his shoulders so he could see better. He looked startled, but soon grinned.

The prince explained the rules. The girl went up to Shirayuki and him, looking equally embarrassed and determined.

"Since you have a lot of trust in Prince Zen, can you be the one to go to the South grounds to call Bobo?" She asked hesitantly, fidgeting with her hands.

Shirayuki smiled and nodded. "I'll try my best!"

The girl smiled, her anxiety momentarily forgotten. "I trust you and your family."

"Uh... they aren't together. And we aren't a family," Ryuu corrected her sadly.

"But we are like a happy family," Obi teased him. He smiled and nodded. He looked and saw Shirayuki blushing.

Ever since he started working here, Shirayuki and Ryuu would always be seen planting and making medicine. Then when he began helping out, it soon became odd for everyone to not see the trio all working together in the gardens or making medicine. Ryuu couldn't focus as well when they aren't with him from what he had seen. He hardly spoke before Shirayuki, and then when he came, he didn't spend all day indoors. He would always be up and about within the herb gardens, from what Shirayuki had told him.

They all mounted onto a horse each—sans for Shirayuki and Ryuu riding along with Obi—and went out for the south grounds, Kihal staying behind to release the bird. The guy who called the birds useless came with them. To "ensure that they won't cheat."

Shirayuki and a guard went up into the tower with that same man. Not even fifteen minutes later, he began to hear a lot of yelling so Ryuu and he went to check what was going on. Half way up the tower, he saw Shirayuki falling through a window. He let a scream as he saw her flutter past. Ryuu ran and jumped out the window they saw her falling from. Obi ran after him and caught him half way down. They made a huge splash. Ten feet away from us was a shocked Shirayuki.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ABOUT?!" He yelled. Ryuu swam and saw her arm. He gasped as he saw a bad gash bleeding heavily on her arm. "You're hurt," He said in a softer voice, still showing the worry in his voice.

"That man locked me in the room and tried to ruin the test from passing. He threw the bell in the water," She said in a panicked way. She held Ryuu close while trying to comfort him. He looked up and saw the bird fly over us. He dove underwater, trying to look for that blue walnut stone bell. Eventually, Shirayuki and Ryuu followed his example and began searching underwater as well. The bird came back and swooped down a few feet from where Shirayuki and he were looking. She looked thoughtful and swam under the area where Bobo was swooping. A minute later, she came up, her arm stretched out high as she clutched the bell securely in her grasp. Everyone signed the paper that was attached to Popo, and he put a different paper alongside it.

"Ryuu, help Mistress with her arm. Call me when she is fixed up," Obi instructed him. He nodded. Obi gave her his long-sleeved jacket that he threw off. She smiled afterwards and let Ryuu walk her into the room inside. As they left, he was told about what happened from the guards. He was proud of her, even though she was reckless and extreme. Zen came soon after on horseback and asked if everyone was okay.

He brushed past me as he begun telling him where Shirayuki was, clearly not letting anything stop him from reaching her. Soon Ryuu came down with sad eyes. "What's wrong, Little Ryuu?"

He looked up at him with watery eyes. He held him in a hug and told him it was okay to tell him.

"I was scared she would die..." He whispered fearfully. Obi nodded, feeling the same. "I love her as if she were my mother..."

"Hey, it takes a lot more than that to take her down," He tried to cheer him up. He moved some of the kid's hair out of his eyes before ruffling his hair. His hands went up to take it again as he swatted at his hand. "And I know what you mean. She really acts like she is your mother." Ryuu nodded and held onto the Prince's Guard closely.

Soon, Zen and Shirayuki came out. Something wasn't right. He seemed normal, but she was anything but, blushing and jumping at every small hand brush that occurred. He glared softly at his master as he held a now-relaxed Ryuu. He walked over and handed Ryuu over to her. She took him gladly and started chatting away. He motioned for Zen to follow him to a discreet location in the woods to talk privately.

"What did you do, Matser? Why is she so fidgety?"

The Second Prince blushed. "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS… but... I kissed her. "

His aide's eyes widened. He had just confessed to _kissing_ her! _Though I don't know that for sure. I'll ask her sometime when we are alone._

"You can't just kiss a girl!" Obi hissed at him, clearly angry as he remembered how it made her feel. _She seemed so…_ scared _, and vulnerable…._

He spun on his heel angrily and strode away, knowing full well he was following. They walked to the horses to get ready to leave. Both Ryuu and Shirayuki were on his horse already, waiting patiently. He smiled and got onto the horse and they rode off to where all the officers were waiting, following them back to the castle. From here on out, it wasn't going to be boring anymore. Things were starting to get real.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on both Wattpad and !)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me both on Wattpad and .)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

 **Former Authoress' Notes: Hey guys! I don't know what y'all like in this story. So I would appreciate some feedback.**

The Second Prince was about to leave for the part of Clarines where Kiharu had come from for diplomatic reasons. Though it _had_ been a while since the day of the test, that ugly guy was still in jail for his interference in the test and putting someone who was close to the prince in harm's way. Perhaps due to this, ever since that day, Shirayuki had been extra clingy to work, as well as to Ryuu and Obi. Whenever she was around the prince, she either became all flustered or completely formal and business-like. She must have been embarrassed about that kiss Zen had given her. Obi tried to bring it up on a few occasions, but she either dodged the questions and started talking about something else entirely or she would run away from him. He wasn't the only one who had noticed; everyone had, too.

Today, he was going to get his answers. _And if I must play dirty… so be it. Wow, I sound demanding...I wonder..._ He laughed silently as Ryuu walked behind him, holding Midnight. He looked at him questioningly, but he shook my head and picked him up on his shoulders. Midnight saw Shirayuki and ran to her by means of jumping off his head, meaning her claws went into the skin. He hissed softly. Now with Ryuu's hands free, he began to play with his father figure's short dark hair.

"Having fun, Little Ryuu?" Obi asked sarcastically, his eyebrow twitching in irritation.

To his credit, Ryuu paused his hands for a moment. "I-I'll stop..." His hands then rested on top of his head, not moving. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by a voice. A bell-like voice; a voice he knew by heart to be Shirayuki's voice.

"Did he say you had to? He only asked if you were having fun," She scolded softly. She then looked at him with a soft smile, but it was replaced by the worried twitching of her lips when Zen spoke. He was right behind her, her somehow not noticing it until the last possible moment. In her defence, she _had_ been preoccupied with talking to Kiharu. Her face went blank and flushed with the same shade of red a newly-bloomed rose had.

"We'll be off now," Zen informed her, darting a glance at Kiharu before letting his gaze return to her soft features.

She didn't respond, but she _did_ move closer to Obi. _This isn't like her._ He looked at Zen and glared with his eyes, conveying his anger. He saw him noticeably flinch before he hopped on his horse and left, Miss Kiki and Mister Mitsuhide following after him in the afternoon sun with Kiharu not too far behind. The girl hung back for a hesitant moment, looking at Shirayuki with concern from the view she received on top of her horse, before being on her way.

"Shirayuki?" Ryuu asked. He felt his shirt start to get wet with her silent tears. Knowing that she and he would be better off by themselves for a while, he set Ryuu down and gently pushed him to his next spot in the castle. _I think he is supposed to make some medicine to help with a strep throat. Oh well._ Ryuu knew what needed to be done, so he left hesitantly. Once he was gone, Obi held Shirayuki close to him as she tried to hold back some sobs.

Deciding that it would be best if he brought her somewhere less open, he picked her up bridal-style and made a dash for the forest. As soon as they were where he wanted them to be, he put her down in a bed of Marigolds. She crawled onto his lap and cried into his chest. It pained him to see her breakdown like this, but she needed to let the worst of the past week's emotions she bottled up out. He put his hand on her bright red hair, that didn't seem as bright as it usually was, before caressing it soothingly. Honestly, it's about the same red of the marigolds at this moment.

Twenty minutes passed as she cried everything out, then another ten minutes as she began collecting herself. He was rubbing her back as she did so. Waiting for her to speak when she was ready to speak, he looked around at his favourite part of this forest.

It's a small meadow with a bunch of different kinds of flowers. So many types and colours that it looked almost unbelievable for such beauty to exist inside a castle's forest. Why? Because no one really enters this forest so life like this shouldn't be possible. By Shirayuki and him, there was a small creak, then on the other side of the meadow there was a crystal-blue pond that sparkled in the sunlight. He knew all of this after escaping to this very spot when he became stressed over being near the Prince, particularly more so after he had out-right kissed the girl and turned her into a bubbling mess waiting to happen. _Honestly, that guy really doesn't understand the concept of personal space all too well, does he?_

"Thank you," She softly whispered, making him look at her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying so much. He nodded and gave her a warm smile. She smiled back, but it was tight-lipped and forced to the trained eye. If you didn't know her well, you'd think she was all right. _I suppose she's had plenty of experience doing that, what with the rumours about her and Prince Zen going around…_

"Tell me, please. Shirayuki, I'm begging you to tell me," He pleaded with her softly, the slightest bit of desperation creeping into his voice. Her eyes clouded with hope and hesitation. "Please."

"Zen... he... kissed me after the test. He said that he won't kiss me again until I told him if I felt the same as him," She hesitantly admitted slowly. _I don't see the problem here... "_ I don't love him, but I don't want him hurt because I can't feel the same about him."

"Then tell him that you don't love him like that, and that you love him as a brother," He offered. _It's so simple_. Her eyes widened. She looked down again, her fist clenching his jacket.

"Do you love anyone?" He found himself asking, then immediately regretted being so direct and bold. He just kept quiet, not knowing what to say.

"You remember me telling you of my first crush? I still love him to this day. He will forever be my true love. He made me see the light in my dark world. His eyes burned away all the shadows that crowded my path after losing my mother, father, _and_ grandparents. I never told him that they weren't in my life anymore. I never told him that I was forced out of all my homes because my hair made everyone think I was some sort of evil. HE MADE ME FEEL AS THOUGH I HAD A PURPOSE!" She admitted once more, but this time with conviction.

He sat there, listening to her. Her words clung to the air like cold does to the winter. The tension was so thick he felt could cut through it with a sword.

"You remind me of an old friend of mine. She and I trained together as kids with my parents. She would always wait in the forest every morning train. She was the only true friend I had. She never made me feel like a monster like everyone in the village made me and my family feel. Instead, she made me feel as though I was human. She had healed every pain I had, whether physical or emotional, she would always find a way to heal me. The day I was forcefully mobbed out of my village was my tenth birthday." He took a deep breath, remembering that day very clearly in his mind. Shirayuki held him close as she listened to my past. "The village had tried to kill me, but my parents got in the way to protect me. The villagers thought I was a devil because of my eyes. The last words I heard was that they loved me and wanted me to be happy, though we all knew I couldn't." He came back to reality, blinking his eyes as he realised he was holding her tighter. The images of his parents' bloodied bodies were too much.

"What about your friend? What happened to her?"

"I don't know, I just know she stole something very important to me..."

"What did she steal?" Her face was like she was scared of something. He smiled sadly at her and kissed her forehead.

"My heart."

It was silent for a while before he told her he would be back. He made a quick trip to the medical wing and grabbed a now-sleeping Ryuu. Midnight was sleeping soundly at his feet. He smiled a soft and loving smile at the cat and boy, bringing him along to his destination.

He hurriedly rushed back to the meadow with Shirayuki now watching the sky. The sun was just beginning to set.

"Mom? Dad?" Ryuu sleepily asked. His eyes then widened. "Uh… I mean... Obi and Shirayuki."

"Why am I the mom?" He teased easily.

"Hey, I'm the dad, so don't complain!" Shirayuki deadpanned him. Both soon irrupted into fits of laughter, Ryuu joining in quickly.

"You don't mind me calling you mom and dad?" Ryuu asked once they stopped, fear showing clearly in his eyes. The two looked at each other lovingly. They knew the answer. He walked over and kissed her to show him that they agreed. Though it seems like it did nothing but confuse the boy.

"We would love to, since he remembers me from all those years ago. And I did steal his heart." He couldn't help but notice how the light gleamed perfectly off her lips as she spoke, showing their lushness to perfection. He shook his head to clear himself of such thoughts before turning to Ryuu.

"And I returned the favour in kind, but you stole both our hearts, Ryuu," He said as they all lied down. Soon after, the other two were out like a light. _I guess it's time to bring us back to the castle._ He put Shirayuki on his back before putting Ryuu in between the two of them. He made quick haste to get back.

When they arrived back to the castle, he went to his room and tucked those two into his bed. As he went back to the medical wing to get Midnight, he saw there was a light on. _Must be a late night._ He snuck in and grabbed her before any other herbalist could question him and brought her back into his house. He then slid into the bed with Ryuu and Shirayuki. Giving both a loving kiss on their forehead, he was soon out like a light.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Former Authoress: Primsgirl89 (You can find her on both Wattpad and !)

Beater/Reviser & New Authoress: Kartara (You can find me both on Wattpad and .)

Quick note: I, Kartara, adopted this series form Primsgirl89 and began to write for it. Prim and I both agreed that it'd be best if I edited the past chapters (Chapters 1 – 6) in my own style and upload it as my own fan-fiction to avoid copyright. Credit for the original story plot and development should go to her for these lovely chapters!

 **Former Authoress' Notes: OMG I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating at all. I have had quite a few school projects due, that and my career choice needed a lot of research to come up with. I'm going to try to make this a good chapter.**

 **Also I know my writing can be awkward, so bare with me. Also when Ryuu corrected himself by saying Obi then Shirayuki, Obi made it seem like he was the mother sense his name was the first to be said. Mother-Obi where first then Dad-Shirayuki. Get it?**

 **I would appreciate some feedback on this.**

There was a light shining through Obi's windows, making him blink his eyes open several times before sitting upright as he rubbed his eyes to wake up. The light gently lit up Shirayuki's and Ryuu's faces, both their hair given a soft golden glow. Ever since what had happened last night, he couldn't stop the feeling of wholeness. Why? Well, he found his first and only love. More than that, he learned that she and he shared the same feelings. She and he shared a few kisses in the forest, though mostly only hugs. Not only that, but that cute little boy that he had grown to care for greatly thought of the two as his parents, though he seemed to be embarrassed to call them that at first. These two seemed to be the reason to start a whole new him. _I never want to go back to who I was before._

Being hired to kill and or capture didn't appeal to him at all. He wanted to protect those two people, the two people he cared for the most, though he did realize he would have to protect Zen as well. He was someone he did care a lot about, but he hurt those two people unknowingly with his actions a couple weeks ago.

He kissed her. He had shoved him. Obi found out both at very different times. Apparently, when Ryuu was walking back to him once they had arrived back at the castle after the bird mission, Zen had shoved him without quite realising it _was_ him, unaware of his actions because of his worries for Shirayuki. Well, when he saw the cut on Ryuu's knee, he got angry, but didn't act impulsively. He waited a while, cooling down as he mentally forced himself to steady his breathing, before going to Zen and explaining to him what his actions did to both Ryuu and Shirayuki. He didn't seem happy with himself about how he had acted. He apologised to Ryuu in front of him, seeming sincere, though whenever he got near Shirayuki, she would brush him off by saying where he had to be and say that he was slacking. That would make him go and do what he was needed to.

 _She really does have him wrapped around her finger..._

 _But Shirayuki has my reins, and I won't let her give them back to me. Ever._

A groan from the two announced that they were waking. First to move was Ryuu as he jumped and ran to him, causing Obi to pick him up and place him against his chest. His sky-blue eyes looked at him with happiness. True happiness. He smiled back and put him down. He ran over to Shirayuki and sat between her legs.

"Morning," He said once he was calmed. His voice was emotionless again, making Obi chuckle. He raised a thin eyebrow at him as did a now-stretching Shirayuki.

"Old you is back. I was enjoying the child you, he's cute." His face flared the same shade of red as Shirayuki's hair.

"I agree with Obi," Shirayuki said softly. She then hugged Ryuu and picked him up. "Obi, can you wash him up?"

He looked at her then smiled. He took him from her, bringing him to the bath. He cleaned him up as gentle, yet thoroughly, as he could. He seemed to like it. Now Ryuu wasn't a stranger to his room so he had his own little dresser drawer of clothes inside just in case he needed them. He always was seen asleep in his office, so Obi took him to his room night after night so he had a place to sleep comfortably. Not just that, but someone to watch over him to make sure he was taken care of.

"Here are some clothes," Shirayuki said as she handed a fresh pair of black pants and a green shirt over. He let Ryuu dress by himself and left to talk to Shirayuki. "I took a shower in the room next to the one we were in. Hope you don't mind that I stole some of your clothes." He looked her over as he smiled and shook his head. She was wearing his favourite black elbow length sleeved shirt and a pair of his mother's tan leggings that he had kept. After his parent's deaths, the Chief finally came to his senses about a month afterward and issued an order for all his parent's belongings to be thrown into a chest and sent to their last surviving family member, or in other words, to him. He hadn't the heart to throw any of it away, so he kept the chest carefully tucked away inside his closet beneath a conspicuous pile of clothes.

"The shirt I don't mind, but those are my mother's leggings." Looking down to the floor at the thought of his mother, he soon was overcome with the feeling of missing his mother and father. "Though, you look cute in them." _I'm letting go of the past and letting them rest in peace. I will let Shirayuki wear my mother's leggings._

"I'm sorry I hadn't known. I'll take them off and wear my pants from yesterday." She acted like he said nothing of letting her wear them.

"No." She looked at him patiently. "Please wear them."

"Okay." Her voice was a soft whisper. At that moment, Ryuu came out, his eyes less emotionless. His eyes really _were_ blue. Obi grabbed a small comb and worked out the knots, careful to keep his hair style the way he liked it. He was whining how he didn't want his hair fixed. "Then you can't go to work or to the forest, and you can't play with Midnight Star."

 _I'm glad I'm not him... that's a bad punishment. At least he can have snacks._

"Fine..."

Soon after they had all freshened up and ate breakfast, they all decided to be on a picnic blanket as they played a few games, currently laughing about the game they were doing. The game's objective was to make one person think of something, and then that person must act out what it was the best they could while the others tried to guess what it was. A bit like charades, but a whole lot funnier.

"CHICKEN!" Shirayuki called out her answer. Ryuu was doing this funny face that looked to be a weird little dance. Ryuu shook his head no as he moved his arms up and down faster.

"A bird flying!" He looks at Obi goofily, but then went back to being the emotionless Ryuu. _He must have saw something behind us._ He looked back behind him and saw the prince.

"I'm not ready..." Shirayuki murmured quietly and he saw Shirayuki freeze for a few moments before making a mad dash for the forest. Obi put his arms out to block their way to her. Prince Zen looked agitated, but stopped.

"Why did she run?" He looked at his newest aide curiously, but obviously upset. "What did you do?"

"What did _I_ do?" Obi asked sarcastically, flabbergasted. "It's not like I'm the one she's running from, now is it?"

Zen then mounted off his horse and tossed his other two aides the reins. "I'll be back before the sun sets, so please be so kind as to escort my horse back to the stables."

He then clenched his fists as he began striding surely towards the forest, his steps echoing his certainty.

 _Good luck, my Shirayuki._

This is the last chapter Primsgirl89 wrote before I adopted it and began to write for it. From this chapter onwards, it will only be my work.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Shirayuki's True Feelings

Shirayuki ran as far as she could and only stopped when her legs couldn't move anymore. She leaned on the nearest tree and heaved her chest up and down, trying to get her breathing to be steady. She tried to console herself as best as she could.

 _It's… not as if… he would follow… me here, right?_

"Shirayuki!"

Her whole body immediately froze in shock, her eyes widening. _He followed me out into the forest?!_

She forced herself to run even more, pushing herself past her limit to do so. His footsteps resounded behind hers, echoing only a few feet behind.

"Shirayuki! Why are you running away?!" Zen asked, clearly annoyed he had to run after her.

"Sorry! I just can't face you right now!" She apologised over her shoulder, still continuously running.

He continued to chase her for a short while before abruptly stopping. "This is getting a bit ridiculous. Can you stop running? If you continue to, I won't go after you."

The authority in his voice, alongside his resolve, gave her pause to stop. She clutched her hand close to her chest as she turned slowly towards him. "I'm… sorry…"

"You've nothing to feel sorry for," He comforted her tenderly, smiling kindly at her. "If the tables were turned, I'd be running away for sure."

"No, it's not the kiss that has me all worried," She began softly, "it's the part afterward."

"The part where I asked you to tell me how you felt?"

He assumed her silence meant he was correct. She averted her eyes, her heart pounding inside her chest.

"We met in a forest just like this one, didn't we?" The Second Prince murmured softly in remembrance as he looked up at the clear, blue sky. He shifted his gaze back to her, giving her a slight smile. "Why don't we talk for a bit? I know a good place here for us to go."

She nodded twice, either unable or unwilling to say anything to him. He took the lead as he led them both towards the place and with the pace he had in mind.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! The diplomatic matter with Kiharu's people was resolved peacefully," Zen offered a bit of chit-chat as they walked together. "We've both mutually agreed to have a few birds and their bird-handlers sent over to Clarines to better train the soldiers on how to use the birds."

"That's wonderful news," She responded back politely. "I'm happy that Kiharu's wish was granted."

"As am I."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, both not sure what to say. They soon reached his intended spot; a stone clearing that was evidently bare, sa"Sove for a few benches. He led her to one of the aforementioned benches, but instead of taking a seat beside her, he sat down on the stone-hard floor beside her bench. They let the wind envelop their senses for a few moments.

"So, do you like this place?" Shirayuki decided to break the silence, clenching her fists close to her skirt.

"No. I haven't for a long time," He answered her honestly, his eyes closed as his bangs swished from side-to-side. "I used to have horseback training in this very spot, so it soon became stressful for me after a time."

The gentle rustle of leaves as they hovered with the wind gave the scene a surreal, fairy-tale-vibe. "That's how I felt about this place before I met you. Now that I've taken you here, it's become less stressful and more stress-relieving. You have a way of making something awful into something wonderful."

Those words made her jump slightly, her eyes fully open now. Tears began to stream down her face as she tried—and failed—to choke down her sobs, if one could call them that. They were more like semi-hiccups tinged with sadness.

Zen opened his eyes and turned towards her, her semi-hiccups startling him to alert. When he saw her rubbing her eyes in a futile effort to stop crying as her whole body became racked with her sobs, he hastily got up and knelt in front of her on one knee.

"Ze… Zen!" She hiccupped as she visibly began to tremble.

He cupped her cheek with one hand, the other clenching his sword, as he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm… so-sorry…" She stammered, tears falling from her cheek to her skirt.

"As I recall, I already said you have nothing to feel sorry for," He comforted her.

"But I do!" She couldn't look directly into his eyes, lest she falter in her decision, so instead, she chose to look down at her trembling fists. She opened her mouth to say more, but he beat her to it.

He took his sheathed sword and placed it on the ground, a gesture that meant surrendering, and closed his eyes as he began. "Shirayuki, when I met you, my whole world became clearer. In a time where I was so unsure of myself, you helped me find who I was merely by being near my side. Your certainty of who you were soon rubbed onto me and I became sure of myself as well. You inspire me like no one I've ever met, and I dare say no one will I'll ever meet will ever do the same for me as you have done."

 _Oh, no, he's going to—!_

"I cannot guarantee that the path we take will be easy if you so choose to be by my side. There will be times where I'll have to choose my duty over you; it's inevitable. Even so, I want you by my side. Together, I think—no, I _know_ we can weather the storms. You give me that faith." He opened his eyes before taking his hand away from her face and holding it out to her for her to take. "So, tell me, Shirayuki, if I hold my hand out, will you take it?"

Strangely enough, she had suddenly stopped crying or trembling, stunned into silence. She wanted to just disappear and never hurt anyone ever again. _No, you can't! Obi and Ryuu left you alone because they trusted you enough to let you make your own decision. You can't let them down!_

She slowly got up from her bench and sunk down on her knees to his level, resting her body on her feet as she looked directly at him. "Zen, I'm sorry, but I cannot return your feelings."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"My heart already belongs to another," She admitted sombrely.

The Prince's eyes suddenly began to tremble as tears brimmed in his eyes. It wasn't because he was rejected; it was because someone decided _to_ reject him, instead of falsely accepting him.

He looked up towards the sky as he remembered the worried talk he had with Mitsuhide all those years ago about love, almost as if it were yesterday.

 _He was sitting somewhat leisurely on a semi-window-sill, his hand cupping his cheek as he stared at the hard rain falling from the protection of his window. Mitsuhide, the only other person besides him, was only a mere foot away, putting away the Prince's collection of books accordingly._

" _Hey, Mitsuhide?" He had asked._

" _Yes, Your Highness?" Mitsuhide had replied, stopping what he was doing to shift his attention to the Prince._

" _If I ever find someone I truly love and they loved me in turn," He had begun, "do you think I could ever accept it as love? Do you think I'll ever stop worrying that they only claimed to love me for my title or because they were afraid to reject me?_

" _What if I never learn what love is, and instead mistake avaricious zeal for it? If that indeed comes to pass, will I ever be fit enough_ to _love?"_

Even though she hadn't taken his hand, he took hers in his own, gripping it tightly. "T… Thank you, Shirayuki."

Now it was her turn to blink in confusion. "Huh?"

He gave her a slight smile as he tried to blink away his tears. "You rejected me not because of my title or status, but because of me alone. You didn't accept my hand whilst not truly loving me; you were motivated only by the feelings of your heart, not voracity. Even if this is not what I justly wanted, I can respect your decision enough to let you set down our boundaries. I promise I won't overstep them.

"Will you still be my friend, though?" He asked hesitantly, gripping her hand tighter. "I know you may not share the same feelings as I do for you, but what I said still holds true. You inspire me in a way I could never hope for anyone else to. I don't want to lose you because you didn't feel the same way."

"No, I'd never do that!" She quickly uttered, shifting closer to him as she tightened her hold on his hand back. "Albeit I may not feel the same way, I still care about and for you, but merely as a sister would her brother. You also inspire me to be better, to give more. If you'll still have me, I'd love to continue being your friend!"

He loosened his grip on her hand only to pull her towards him, pulling her into an embrace. "Of course I'd still want you to be my friend!"

 **TBC**

A/N: That's all for now! I kinda have a sequel(?) to this fan-fiction where it shows Obiyuki in the future? It's titled "The Girl Who Overcame Time." It's focuses on the 'Naomi x Zen' ship, so if you like Obiyuki yet don't want Zen to be all alone, consider reading that fan-fiction?


	8. Chapter 8

Before we start, I'd like to respond to a few kind reviews I've received:

To AnimeQueen82: Thank you! I'm also glad I adopted this series!

To Guest: I'm glad you love this!

To Primsgirl89: Thank you so much for your kind words and for letting me adopt this wonderful gem of a series! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Zen and Shirayuki walked back to the castle by themselves, since everyone else had already packed up and left. They didn't stop walking together 'til they reached his office. Upon seeing the smiles on their faces, the Prince's two loyal aides gave him slight smirks. Obi and Ryuu, however, gave her sceptical looks. The two left the room with a hesitant Shirayuki, leaving Zen and his two aides behind.

"So…" Mitsuhide started but trailed off.

"Care to tell us what happened?" Kiki asked.

Zen sighed before motioning towards the balcony. He twisted the knob and opened the door, his aides following close behind.

Mitsuhide was the last one to come out onto the balcony so he closed the door. "Well?"

"I… shared my feelings with Shirayuki," The Second Prince admitted hesitantly.

"And?"

"She… She didn't feel the same way."

"WHAT?!"

"She said her heart already belonged to someone else," Zen reluctantly recalled. "I respect her decision."

"But that's not it, is it?" Kiki asked stoically. "If it were, you wouldn't be so happy.

"No, it isn't," He confirmed after a timid moment. "I asked her if she would still be my friend, and she gladly accepted. This isn't the outcome I wanted, but I'm glad I never lost her."

She gave him a slight smile—which was just the corners of her mouth turning a fraction upward—that showed she understood. "So are we."

"So, what happened?" Obi asked after they went back to the pharmacy and entered the office Shirayuki and Ryuu shared.

"Well…" Shirayuki trailed off as she scratched her cheek nervously. "I told him that I didn't feel the same about him. He understood and only asked that I remain his friend."

Obi let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I thought it was strange that he came back so happy. Even stranger was that _you_ were happy."

"You honestly thought for a second that I'd abandon you for him?" She asked, shocked.

"No," He spoke almost immediately. "I knew you wouldn't abandon both Ryuu and I for the sake of a title. I can't say that the thought didn't cross my mind—and also into my nightmares—before without lying, but as I waited for you and the Prince to come back, the thought never even entered my mind once."

She smiled. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Thank _you_ for being trustworthy," He replied happily as he pulled her then Ryuu into an embrace. The little boy squirmed at first, but soon eased when Shirayuki shifted to hug them both. She didn't think that anything could break her family apart.

If only she had known…

* * *

They were soon called back into Zen's office later in the afternoon, the messenger not giving any more details than when to be there. It was 5:00 P.M. sharp, exactly when they were supposed to be in Zen's office.

"What do you need us for?" Obi asked immediately upon entering his office, staring directly at him. Of course, he knew that Shirayuki had rejected him, but he felt a strange feeling of irritability when it came to the Prince.

"I've recently been informed that we are expecting a guest," The Second Prince told him. "She's a noblewoman of high stature. I was hoping the three of you would be able to help the noblewoman feel at home, as you always do with guests of the crown."

A smile appeared on Shirayuki's face as she realised he was referring to Kiharu. "We still have work to do, but I'm sure we can spare a bit of time. We'd love to help!"

"Great!" He let out as he pushed back from his chair and stood up. "She's to appear momentarily at the gates, so we better hurry!"

With that, the Prince, his two aides, and the trio all made their way hastily towards the gates, waiting for her to come. They needed only to wait a mere five minutes before a carriage stopped at the gates, waiting for permission to come in. Once the Second Prince verified the identity of the woman, he gave his full consent for the carriage to come in, giving the coachman the order to stop at the stone pavement that served as a parking space.

The noblewoman stepped down from the carriage the moment it ceased any movement, not waiting for her maid to accompany her. She practically skipped all the way to the Prince before greeting him with a curtsy. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

"Good afternoon to you as well, My Lady," He returned her greeting as he gave her a slight bow.

Shirayuki glanced to her side to see Obi with his jaw hung open, blinking several times in disbelief. _Is he okay?_

She didn't have to ask before Zen gestured towards the castle doors. "Shall we?"

The noblewoman nodded as she took a few steps towards the door before the maid hurriedly brushed past her and opened the door for them. Shirayuki saw Zen's guest suppress a grimace, nodding curtly at the maid before entering the castle. _I suppose she doesn't like being treated as something delicate._

They all entered after her, heading towards the Great Hall for dinner with Zen leading them They sat down and ate dinner, Obi cautiously darting a glance here and there at their new guest before looking down at his food and shaking his head as if to clear his mind from any thoughts. If Shirayuki didn't know any better, she'd think he was starting to fall in love with the woman.

 _But that's insane, isn't it? After all, they've only just met; they haven't even exchanged a word to each other yet._

Subsequently, they went to Zen's office to discuss any further plans.

"What would you like to do?" Zen asked his guest.

The noblewoman placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I'd really like to take a tour of the castle grounds. My husband will arrive tomorrow evening, so I'd like to be well learnt on what this castle has to offer."

He nodded in agreement. "Would you like all of us to accompany you or just one of us?"

She took a look around the room, not really letting her eyes rest for long on a person, but her eyes stopped at Obi. Her pupils dilated tremendously in shock, but after she blinked, any trace of emotion she had before vanished, making Shirayuki almost completely sure she was the only one who saw. She now stared at him indifferently. "I suppose I'd like your cat-like aide to accompany me on a tour of castle. He seems like the type who'd know the nicks and crannies within the castle."

Obi visibly began to perk up as the Second Prince ordered him to do just that. When he left with her, it seemed to Shirayuki as if he was a little _too_ enthusiastic about giving her a tour. _No, that can't be… It's just my imagination. He'd never do anything untoward with another woman._

* * *

Shirayuki returned to work soon after, but since neither her nor Ryuu could concentrate on their work, they decided to patiently wait for Obi in his room. One hour passed, then turned into two, then three, and continued to turn until she couldn't count anymore. _He sure has been gone a long time…_

She was just starting to doze off, Ryuu fast asleep right next to her, when she jumped to alert on top of the bed at the sound of the knob twisting. Obi popped his head inside soon after before coming into the room, closing the door behind him.

The young red-head rubbed her eyes before trying her best to glare at him. "Where have you been? Are you aware that it is currently—" She hesitated as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall "—eleven p.m.? What could you have possibly have showed her to take that long?!"

He quietly tip-toed over to her, seeing that Ryuu was asleep. "Sorry," He whispered quietly. "I guess time slipped away from me."

From looking at him, she saw that his hair was a mess and his clothes were in a slight disarray. Though she didn't want to think it, her mind could only come to one conclusion: the noblewoman wasn't as innocent as she seemed.

Tears began to brim in Shirayuki's eyes, but she blinked them away. "Is that all? Have you anything to tell me?"

Obi rubbed his neck nervously as he averted his gaze. "Not at the moment, no, but tomorrow, I do. I don't want to worry you tonight."

'… _Don't want to worry me'? Do I_ need _to be worried?_

More tears brimmed in her eyes, and this time, she didn't stop them from streaming down her face. She did, however, gulp down her sobs so she wouldn't wake Ryuu up. _He'd be devastated if he knew what was happening… It's better to wait until morning._

"Do you… Do you love her?" She whispered so quietly, it was almost inaudible. Her fists shook as she clenched the fold of her dress tightly in her hands.

"Yes," He immediately responded. "I've no doubts of that."

The tears streamed down her face and fell to her fists, shudders visibly going through her body. "B-But… I thought… you said…"  
Her mind was too overwhelmed to even process saying a full sentence, so instead, her words came in shambles. _Everything I ever thought was true since that day that we found out we were each other's first love…_

 _Was it all a lie?_

Somehow, without her realising it, Obi had appeared right in front of her, trying to console her. "Everything I said still holds true," He promised as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, gently wiping away her tears. "I can't imagine having a family without you and Ryuu in it."

"B-But… you… l-love… her…!" She stuttered out, bringing up a hand to set on top of his own.

"Of course I do," He stated as if it were obvious. "She's my sister!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"WHAT?!" Shirayuki yelled. "She's your SISTER?!"

"Shhhh!" Obi hissed at her, gesturing towards Ryuu. "There are some of us who'd like to get some sleep!"

"Sorry," She whispered her apology. She suddenly felt very light and carefree. _It's nice to know that my conjecture was incorrect._

"Why do you look so relieved?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. He slanted his eyes in realisation. "Wait… did you actually think I… that I would ever cheat on you?!"

"The thought did cross my mind once or twice," She admitted hesitantly, "but I wasn't worried."

"You… weren't worried?" He asked, slumping his shoulders in dejection. Naturally, he'd thought she'd been enraged by his casual brushing off of being with another woman. Though the woman in question was his sister, he'd thought that she'd at least be angry with him beforehand.

Her eyes widened as she frantically waved her hands. "N-No, it's not that I wasn't _worried_ —I couldn't even sleep since my pulse was racing so fast. I wasn't worried about _us_ , though. I tried my best to stay up to wait for you, but—"

He put his hand on her own. "You were waiting for me?"

Her face began to turn a bright red. "I-I wasn't waiting for you for long… actually, I was planning on going to find you if I had to wait a minute longer…"

Obi smiled as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Shirayuki's own. "Sorry to make you worry."

She closed her eyes as she began to smile. "You're not sorry in the least."

Rather than feebly try to defend himself, he shrugged and let a soothing silence envelop both their senses. They stayed like that for so long, the two of them lost all sense of time.

Eventually, Shirayuki snapped back to her senses and—albeit she hated to ruin this perfect moment—straightened and opened her eyes. "Since when did you have a sister? Did you not tell me the truth about your family?"

Obi followed her example and snapped back to his senses as well. "I _did_ tell you the truth about my parents, but it was half of the full truth. After my parents were brazenly murdered, I assumed they had done the same with my younger sister and fled to a nearby village with a couple of friends I knew. After the village calmed down and the Chief himself apologised to me, I went back to the village. Turns out my sister had also fled to one of her friends a few towns away. When I heard she was still alive, I wrote her a letter, begging that she come back. She did, once I assured her it was all right to be in the village."

"But that can't possibly be it, can it?" She asked quietly. _That still doesn't explain how he became an assassin or how his sister had become a noblewoman but, most of all, it doesn't explain how they ended up being so distant to each other. You'd think they'd be closer, considering the tragedy that befell their family._

"No, it isn't," He affirmed after a few hesitant moments. "At first, everything was great. I quickly found a job with the help of a friend of mine where I cut trees, and my sister, like you, knew a lot about herbs. She planted a garden behind our house and grew most of our food—save for bread, eggs, and other such things—by hand. She even embroidered dresses to sell and stitched any of our ripped clothes back together. We didn't have a lot of money, but we lived comfortably enough. More than that, we were happy. We had each other, and that was enough.

"One day, as I was coming back from my job, I heard a shrill scream I recognised as my sister's. I rushed home quickly only to see two men try to kidnap my sister. The man who wasn't restraining my sister lunged for me with a knife in his hand. I dodged his attack and aimed my fist at his rib cage. He let out a muffled grunt, but soon recovered and aimed the knife at my heart. I used this chance to use his momentum against him and quickly took hold of his knife before turning it toward him. His momentum couldn't stop in time and he ran straight into the blade. He didn't even scream; he just slowly crumpled to the ground. The other man, the one restraining my sister, didn't look angry. In fact, he looked impressed. I was about to do the same to him when he suddenly pulled a gun out of its holster and aimed it at my sister's throat. He threatend to kill her if I even made a move towards him. After seeing I wasn't about to do anything, he gave me instructions to meet him at a nearby bar at exactly midnight if I ever wanted to see my sister again. He then took my frightened sister away with him, and I couldn't do anything!"

"It's not your fault," Shirayuki murmured quietly, soothingly rubbing her hand up and down his arm.

"It is," He quietly contradicted her. "I went to the bar at twelve a.m. sharp, just as they had asked. As I entered, he was right there with another lackey. He waved me over and told me to take a seat. Seeing that I wasn't one to beat around the bush, he told me that he wanted to recruit me into the band of assassins and thieves he was in. Before I could object, he told me that if I worked for eight years, they would let my sister go free without objection. Naturally, I took his offer, if only to save my sister. I was ten then, and she was only eight. I've done things I wasn't proud of since then. I don't know what they did with her for those eight years—more than likely rent her out to be a house servant for some noble—but I did what I was asked without complaint. As a reward, I was allowed to see her every so often, roughly once a month, with the presence of another assassin.

"The years passed by, and it soon became my third year in their service. I went to the head of the assassins and asked them to let her go, just as they promised. The head put on a mock-apologetic face as he solemnly informed me that my sister had passed away. He fabricated some story about how she was working for some noble when a group of vigilantes stormed the house and killed everyone inside. The thing was, he had this egotistical gleam in his eye that made my skin crawl. My sister was practically a woman, a pretty one at that, as you've seen. I'd no doubt they'd done something untoward with her. Though I didn't believe it, I kept my mouth shut and continued working for them. I also continued to look around for any news of my sister, since I knew she was alive."

"Why did you continue working for them?" The red-head asked uncertainly.

"How could I stop?" He answered back with a rhetorical question. "It was the one thing I'd been doing for the past eight years, the one thing I was any _good_ at. The adrenaline in my blood as I did dangerous jobs made me feel _alive_ , more alive than I've ever felt. I didn't know how to stop and just leave without losing another part of myself. I felt bad about what happened to her, but me leaving without trying to gather information wouldn't help her at all."

"So, what do you find out?"

"I found out that she was sold to a nobleman of Tanbarun," He spat out disgustingly. "Sold off like some pretty piece of eye candy. I tried to find her whereabouts, but the nobleman was quite the scoundrel with his financial affairs. He fled one city for another almost every month, dragging her along, not even bothering to tell anyone else of their whereabouts. I lost all track of her after that."

After seeing his body tense up and his eyes begin to waver with the ghosts of tears, Shirayuki wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "It's okay now, right? She didn't seem angry with you; I'm sure you can rekindle your sibling bond in time."

"She wasn't angry at me, albeit she should be," He confirmed her statement dejectedly. "She doesn't even blame me for what happened; she just kept saying that I did my best and it wasn't my fault, but I can't agree."

"Obi," Shirayuki began in a sweet, soothing voice, "you need to forgive yourself for what happened. You couldn't do anything else but agree to work for them, which you did. You couldn't have possibly have known that they would sell her to a noble."

"I wasn't strong enough to protect my parents, and I wasn't even strong enough to protect _her_ , the last family I have," He degraded himself bitterly. "I don't deserve to have a family."

"Yes, you do," The young red-head whispered to him softly. She gestured towards Ryuu and then at herself. " _We_ are your family now. I may not be able to erase what happened to you that day, but the three of us will always be a family, even if you decide to add your sister into the mix."

Obi gave her a weak smile. "I thought I could get over it and maybe have another family, but the moment I saw her, it all came back to me. I can't run away from my past or try to forget it; it's always there, watching me for the perfect moment to catch me off-guard."

" _We'll_ always be here, too, watching you," She tried to calm him. "If your past ever becomes too much to bear, come to Ryuu and I. We're your present and future; we can help you overcome your past."

Tears began to brim in Obi's eyes, and rather than let her see them, he pulled her into a tight hug. They stayed in that hug for a long while, even when Obi gently set them both down onto the bed to sleep. They both soon drifted off to sleep, their arms wrapped around each other's tenderly.

* * *

A/N: OMG, this chapter is SO long! 1,739 words (sans this long author's note) long! I know I said before that I'd update with short chapters, but somehow, I couldn't stop writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.  
On slightly less relevant news, I'd like to say that I won't be updating this fan-fiction until January. I have multiple end-of-course and state exams coming up that I have to study for and I cannot spare any time to write. Sorry, but I can't control exam dates! Please don't hate me for it! ( ; ^ ; )

Until next time, please keep leaving your lovely reviews! They really inspire me to write prompts, and who knows? Maybe I might say "To heck with it!" and write a new chapter anyways despite being forced to study. _Maybe_!

 ** _Your lazy author, Kartara, signing off!_**


	10. Chapter 10

Shirayuki woke up the next morning happy, careful to not wake Obi or Ryuu up when she went to go get dressed. Once she was finished doing her morning routine—sans putting her hair up since Obi didn't have any hairbands lying around—she went back and found the two of them awake starting to play a game of "Two Truths and One Lie."

"I hate tight clothing, I occasionally pickpocket from unsuspecting onlookers, and I can sing," Obi told Ryuu. "Which one is the lie?"

Ryuu placed a finger on his chin thoughtfully and he slanted his eyes slightly in concentration. "That you can sing?"

The ex-assassin let out a soft chuckle. "And you thought I actually pickpocket from unsuspecting onlookers?"

The boy just shrugged. "Seemed a whole lot more likely than the possibility of you singing good."

"I can sing very well, thank you very much!"

"Oh, really?" Ryuu goaded him. "Do so now!"

Obi raised his eyebrow in mischief and opened his mouth to sing, but suddenly spotted Shirayuki watching them from afar. "Maybe some other time."

"Hmph!" She mocked-pouted. "I was really looking forward to it, too."

After the other two changed, they set off for the garden and took a seat on one of the many benches, save for Ryuu since he went to go inspect a plant.

"It was a good idea to bring him here before telling him," Shirayuki whispered quietly to Obi. "How do you plan on telling him?"

"I'm not sure," He admitted with hesitation. "Should I just straight out tell him or slowly build up to it?"

"Just tell him directly," She instructed him. "If you build up to it, he'll think you were treating him like a kid."

He didn't have time to question her before the boy in question ran up to them, holding a flower in his outstretched hand. "Look, look! It's finally bloomed!"

Upon closer inspection, they both realized that the flower he was holding was a fully-grown yura shigure.

"I thought they withered and died in the fall?" Obi stated it as a question. "How is it still unaffected?"

"That's the point," The young boy informed him boyishly. "It should be nothing but a stem, but it managed to survive against the odds!"

Shirayuki smiled kindly at him as a mother would to her child. "It truly is magnificent that it survived thus far. It must be a lucky flower indeed."

Ryuu blinked, his eyes suddenly focusing as if he had just realized something. He took a few steps closer to her before pulling her hair from her face and setting the flower into her hair. "You remind me a lot of this flower. Please keep it."

The young redhead's eyes widened in surprise, but she clamped her lips shut and nodded slowly. Her face had reddened close to the color of her own hair. Whether she was unwilling or unable to speak would remain a mystery.

Obi's mouth was open wide, blinking several times to make sure what he saw was real. She looked beautiful with the flower tucked into her hair, and her blush only served to make her even more beautiful. She looked… _ethereal_.

He shook his head to clear himself of those thoughts before turning to Ryuu. "Ryuu, I need to tell you something important."

The young boy suddenly stood at alert. "What would that be?"

"Remember that noble-ish lady we saw yesterday?" He asked rhetorically. "Well… she's... kinda… my sister."

"WHAT?!"

His two semi-parents quickly explained everything to him, careful to leave out the fact the ex-assassin had chosen to stay with his group even after his suspicions.

"Can I meet her?" Ryuu asked once they finished with wide, childlike eyes. "I mean, formally, as your sister. That'd make her something like my aunt, right?"

"Something like that," Obi affirmed. "I can ask for her to meet the three of us in private, if you'd like—"

"That sounds like a great idea!" The other two cut in, saying it simultaneously.

* * *

The following afternoon, after Obi had asked his sister to join them for a late lunch during his free lunch break, they all headed to a nice clearing in the forest to have a picnic.

"The air here is pure and fresh," His sister commented as she set down the blanket.

"It is," He agreed as he did the same with the basket. "This is a Green Zone protected by the law, so no one can harm this or the forest around it."

She gave him a slight smile in return. "You're very knowledgeable about such things. Have you always been so?"

He began to rub the back of his neck nervously, averting his eyes from her gaze. "W-Well… being an assassin makes you very observant and helps you recall bits and pieces of information you may overhear. I listen more than I speak out of habit."

Ryuu took note of their conversation as he started to open the basket Shirayuki packed for their late lunch. "Who wants to eat?"

All the food was passed around and everyone got a little piece of everything inside it.

"This sweet bun is really good," Ryuu said in between bites, "but mind if I get an herb to spice it up?"

"Not at all," Shirayuki replied back. "What herb were you thinking of?"

"It's a special herb that grows in this forest," He told her excitedly before turning to Obi. "Mind helping me find it?"

"Not if the ladies mind being alone for a short while," The brunette responded back as he chewed his food.

"Oh, don't mind us," His sister told him innocently. "The two of us will be fine by ourselves, won't we?"

The young redhead nodded in agreement. "Yes, we will. Please don't restrain yourselves simply because we're here."

"Oh, it's not the two of you I'm worried about," Ryuu started as he gave them a mischievous look, "it's the food."

The noblewoman laughed and playfully swatted him with a nearby rag. "There will still be food when you come back, but only if you hurry!"

With that, the young boy mounted Obi's back and they sped through the forest in pursuit of their herb.

"Those two really do make things interesting," Shirayuki mused out loud. "Anyhow, sorry to ask this now, but what is your name?"

"Claire," The noblewoman said indifferently. "And yours is…?"

"Shirayuki," She responded back. Afterwards, they sat in an almost-eerie silence, letting the wind reach their ears. _What do I say to her?! Do I talk to her about Obi, or about how nice it must be to be a noblewoman-?_

"My brother… _likes_ you, correct?" Claire started hesitantly, interrupting her thoughts.

Shirayuki felt her cheeks begin to redden. "I-I cannot say that he does with complete certainty… You might do better to ask him instead of me."

"Well, you better make sure he doesn't." The noblewoman's voice had suddenly turned dark and threatening. " _You'd_ do best to never talk to him again."

"E-Excuse me?" The young herbalist started, flabbergasted at the sudden change of her personality.

"You're a semi-adviser to Prince Zen, right?" She asked rhetorically with a menacing look in her eyes. "I've heard a lot about you. Rumors say that you've slept around with both the Princes to make yourself so likeable."

Her cheeks redden even more as the noblewoman continued. "I don't know what is so appealing about my brother or what you'll gain by making him like you, but I don't want you messing around with my brother like you do with the princes. Trust me when I say you'll regret ever getting involved with him if you continue."

 _I-Is she_ threatening _me?!_

She didn't have time to ask before she heard a rustle in nearby bushes and Obi and Ryuu popped into view. They had smiles on their faces as Ryuu held their find out to everyone. "Found it!"

"Let's get back to eating then, shall we?" The ex-assassin cheerfully suggested as he glanced at his sister.

"Oh, that's quite all right," His sister replied as she got up from the blanket. "I'll be taking my leave. I'm expecting my husband any minute now, so I have to finish making the preparations in his stead."

She waved them a goodbye with a happy smile on her face before going on her way, quite different from what Shirayuki had just seen. _Why would she threaten me like that?_

* * *

A/N: Sorry for not uploading in so long! My new classes just started so things have been a bit hectic lately. Thanks for being so patient with me!

Until next time!

 _ **Your lazy writer, Kartara, signing off!**_


	11. Chapter 11

The next day, the noblewoman's husband arrived in a carriage early in the morning. The same people who greeted her greeted her husband. She joined them and showed him into the castle, followed lengthily behind by everyone else, as she showed him towards the Second Prince's office.

"I hope that you've been content here," Her husband murmured softly, just low enough for her to hear but inaudible to anyone else.

"Of course, my lord," She answered back honestly. "They've done nothing but show me hospitality thus far. I hope it will be the same for you."

"And the girl?"

"She is everything the rumors depicted her out to be."

They stopped talking after that, only seconds before they turned at a hallway and reached Zen's office. The prince took the lead, showing everyone into his office, before taking his seat at his desk.

Obi eyed her husband warily, his eyebrows slanting in silent concentration. _Please don't do anything stupid, dear brother…._ Claire thought willfully in her mind.

She paid no attention to him since she knew that if she did, her husband would soon notice and demand to know what enamored her so. She instead shifted her gaze back to Zen, giving him an indifferent but modest look.

"Lord Hesoge," Zen began in his royal voice, "I'm glad you've decided to stay with us. May I ask for the reason of why you've decided to do so?"

"I've recently been trusted with deciding Tanbarun's trading partners, and seeing as we do not have an official trading system set down, I've taken the liberty of journeying all the way here to establish one." The lord's face was kind, his slight smile hiding the greed lurking in his eyes. It was indistinguishable to everyone save for her. He took a piece of paper out from his coat and stepped forward to hand it Prince Zen.

"Why the sudden change?" The Prince asked, blinking in confusion as he glanced down at the paper.

"Prince Raji has decided to reevaluate the kingdom before his coronation to become king to ensure that everything is just," The lord explained. "He's making an effort to become a respected king."

Zen smiled. "I'd like to see what he does when he becomes king."

"As do I," Hesoge agreed quietly, bowing ever so slightly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave for the day. I'm thoroughly exhausted and I'd like to take a break from politics for the moment to relax and take a stroll around the castle. Would you mind if I did?"

"No, of course not. You're free to go," The Prince gave his permission. "However, tomorrow, I'd like to discuss this matter further."

"As you wish, Your Highness," The nobleman humbly responded and then glanced at his wife, grabbing her elbow. "I'm afraid my wife has taken slightly ill, albeit through no fault of yours. She needs to rest in her room immediately."

 _Liar,_ she thought, biting her tongue. _I'm not the least bit sick!_

She averted her gaze, subconsciously resting on Obi. His clenched fists at his side trembled as if he were trying to restrain himself from doing something. _Dear brother, please don't do something you'll regret!_

"That's unfortunate. Would you like someone to show you to your room?" The host suggested to his guest, oblivious to the clear anger his aide was in.

"I am grateful, but I'm afraid I have to decline," The diplomat declined the offer. His eyes raked across everyone in the room, raising an eyebrow curiously at Ryuu but shifting his gaze to Shirayuki. It was full of covetousness and made her uncomfortable. "My wife knows the way to our room."

"If she is well enough to remember, I see no reason to object." The Prince turned his gaze to the woman in question. "If that's all right with you?"

"Oh, don't worry about me," Claire quickly assured him, waving her hands frantically. "I'm sick, but it's nothing a good night's rest won't cure."

"Then let's be on our way, shall we?" Her husband asked rhetorically, his grip tightening hurtfully on her elbow. She let out a grimace with its corners slightly up in a semi-grin to try and suppress any sounds that might come out her mouth. She willed her brother not to do anything once more and gave a small curtsy to the prince before following her husband out the door.

* * *

A/N: In the last chapter, I portrayed Claire as a mean woman when she spoke to Shirayuki. I always felt like a good writer makes every character likeable, even an antagonist, so that's what I'm going to try to do. This gives a little bit of an insight as to what Claire's life is like, but this does not quite explain why she acted the way she did to Shirayuki. That will be saved for another chapter in the near future.

Thank you for taking your time to read this and for being so patient with me as I awkwardly try to write. Please leave reviews with suggestions as to how I can make this fan-fiction better. I cannot become a better writer if I have no criticism to take into consideration.

I have a special surprise for Valentine's Day for the AnS Fan-fiction community, so if you want to read it, please be sure to look for it! It's going to be a Mitsukiki fan-fiction!

Until the next chapter!

 _ **Your lazy writer, Kartara, signing off!**_


	12. Indefinite Hiatus

I'm going on an indefinite hiatus for all of my fan-fictions. Right now, I just can't write.

I usually write and then save the word document on my flash drive. I've never had a problem with this until now. I sometimes upload all the files onto my GDrive every once in a while as a backup but due to school, I didn't have any time to do that.

I wish I did.

My cousin broke my flash drive and I tried repairing it, but it's physically broken. The USB part where you plug it into your computer was completely torn off and unusable. I can't even look at my files now.

This wouldn't be so much of a problem, but this was the flash drive where I saved _ALL_ of my writings. I had OC-related things on there, fan-fictions I never even posted (since I was too embarrassed to), and future chapters for this fan-fic written. Now that they are gone, I just can't write without feeling sad.

If you're worrying about me, please don't! I'm a bit sad, but a family member of mine said that they're going to buy a soldering kit and try to repair it. I'll be sure to update you all if it is _(or not)_ fixed.

 ** _Thank you for being patient with me._**

 ** _Your lazy writer, Kartara, signing off._**


End file.
